interested in, whether that’s food, animals, or sports. Visit VolunteerMatch.org to find opportunities in your area sorted by organization type. 4. Move to a 55-plus community. Also called retirement communities or active adult communities, these neighborhoods are known for their low-maintenance housing, amenities, and group activity options — and they’re all over the U.S. If you want to find friends in your age group to swim and play tennis with, a local real estate agent can help you find them. 5 WAYS TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS IN RETIREMENT Don’t Spend Another Year Lonely!
Friendship just might be the fourth secret to longevity, right behind eating well, exercising, and getting plenty of sleep. According to the Mayo Clinic, making friends can reduce stress, improve your self-confidence, and give you purpose in life! People with good friends are also more likely to exercise and less likely to drink to excess. But making friends is tough, especially in your golden years. To finally kick loneliness to the curb in 2022, try these five tips. 1. Get a dog. Adopting a dog (assuming you truly want one) will incentivize you to leave the house for walks, vet visits, and more. You’ll likely attract new friends in the neighborhood when they stop to pet your pup, and you can also meet people at the dog park or obedience classes. If nothing else, you’ll have your dogs in common! 2. Join a hobby group. The easiest way to find friends with similar interests is to pursue those interests. If you like to quilt, join a quilting group, and if you kayak, look for an outdoors club near you. Facebook is a great resource for finding online hobby groups, too! Just type your interest into the search bar and select “Groups” on the left-hand side of the screen. 3. Volunteer. Volunteering has similar benefits to joining a hobby group with the added benefit of giving back to the community! There’s likely a cause for whatever you’re
5. Become a mentor.
Mentorship is a valuable way to form friendships across generations. You can sign up for an existing program
in the field you retired from or reach out to a local college or high
school career center and offer your services. They’ll likely have graduates who’d love to meet you!
Skills That Enrich Us The Importance of Having a Hobby January is National Hobby Month, and it’s the perfect time to try something new! The best way to find a hobby you enjoy is to be open to new things. Whether it’s gardening, reading, drawing, running, fishing, crafting, or even beekeeping, finding an activity you enjoy is important. Here’s why!
Hobbies are stress relievers. Hobbies offer a healthy escape from your busy lifestyle by keeping you engaged in something you find pleasure in. Instead of just relaxing on the couch and turning off your mind for a bit (which is totally acceptable sometimes), hobbies allow you to remain mentally productive while winding down at the same time.
Hobbies offer a social outlet. Some hobbies involve group activities, such as bowling, sports teams, book clubs, and even wine tasting. Connecting with others offers the social support humans depend on to lead a healthy and fruitful life. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find some great friends who share the same passions as you!
Hobbies develop patience. When you take on a new hobby, you are tasked with learning something new. Whether you’re practicing a new instrument, learning a different language, or figuring out how to make jewelry, a learning curve is involved. Building new skills takes patience, a very important attribute for success.
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